Newly-released data from Public Health England has revealed that, of 2,267 deaths registered, 617 people died from the disease in 2016, the most recent period for which data has been released.

That is 27.2% of the deaths in Derby - although the percentage is down from 29.2% in 2011 when 573 patients died from this condition.

And the proportion of cancer deaths in Derby is below the rate for England, where 28% of the deaths were caused by all cancers in 2016.

Five years earlier, cancer was responsible for 29.1% of the deaths nationally.

Helen Rippon, Chief Executive of Worldwide Cancer Research, reckons the lower mortality rate from cancer in the country is a consequence of better tests and treatments, but there is still work to be done.

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She said: "Some types of cancer have benefitted incredibly from research, with a person's chance of survival pushing upwards of 90%. Others have not fared as well and survival rates are still as low as they were in 1970. Historically, less funding has been given to some types of cancer, which somewhat explains the discrepancies in survival rates.

"The proportion of deaths caused by cancer in the UK is slightly higher than seen in Europe as a whole, where cancer accounts for 20% of all deaths. To understand why some places may have higher or lower numbers of people dying from cancer you need to be able to take everything into account, including dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors."

After cancer, circulatory diseases, like hypertension, was the second deadliest illness in Derby. About 26.6% of the deaths were caused by this condition, down from 29.8% in 2011.

Jacob West, Director of Healthcare Innovation at the British Heart Foundation, put this national trend down to the advancements in treating conditions.

A GP checks a patient over (Image: Getty Images)

He said: "Over the last 50 years, we have seen advancements in treating conditions like heart attack and a decline in smoking. These factors play a significant role in a slight decline in death rates from circulatory disease, but we can’t get complacent. Progress has slowed since 2011 and 150,000 people still die from these diseases in the UK each year.

“Socio-economic factors have a significant effect on someone’s risk of heart and circulatory diseases, with research suggesting this is largely due to unhealthier lifestyles and being less likely to report any warning signs to their GP. We can’t think that circulatory disease is a ticked box - it remains the world’s biggest killer and the problem isn’t going away."

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Respiratory conditions were the third deadliest illness in Derby. The proportion of people dying from these diseases was about 14.1% - down from 14.3% in 2011.

Sarah MacFadyen, Head of Policy at the British Lung Foundation, said respiratory disease mortality is far worse in the UK than in Europe.

She said: "Death rates from lung disease in the UK are the fourth worst in Europe. One of the biggest reasons for this is our comparatively poor rates for early diagnosis. Diagnosing lung disease early allows the best possible chance for effective treatment.

"Patients chances of making a recovery, or getting the best treatment and living a fulfilling life, are also harder to achieve because there is not a national joined-up approach to improve the nation's lung health. The number of people developing lung conditions will remain high until a national prevention plan to keep lungs healthy is in place."